She's In Love
by Awahili
Summary: Elle is in California for the summer, but when she calls with exciting news how will Emmett react? Fluff-warning. Another from my INSPIRED series.


Well, here's another one Winter Sapphire!!

Btw, I actually got to see the national tour of LB: The Musical here in Dallas last weekend. It was awesome! I even dragged my boyfriend to it, and he liked it! I have converted another, whoo hoo!

This is another of my _Inspired_ series. For more info on that, see my bio... Characters aren't mine, song belongs to Mark Wills.

AN - OMG, how in the world did I miss that? Okay, this is take 2, with the time change screw up fixed. Thanks to those who caught it. Wow...

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_June 3__rd__…_

"Bye Emmett," Elle hugged her best friend goodbye as she stood just outside the security checkpoint at Logan International Airport. He held her tightly for a moment before letting go, allowing Paulette to smother the girl.

"Oh Elle, call us from California, okay? We'll be counting the days until you come back." Elle smiled at the woman who had helped her so much.

"I will. I'll see you all at the end of the summer." She hugged Emmett once more, and whispered quietly so no one else could hear. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too," he said. "Call me when you get there?" Elle nodded her agreement as she pulled away, and he held out his hand to begin their special handshake. She laughed and went through the motions and waved to her friends once more before she handed the guard her boarding pass.

"Have a good summer!" Vivienne called, waving to her newly found friend. Brooke's trial had been over for almost two months and the end of their first year at Harvard together had been a hectic one. The two very different girls had struck up an odd sort of friendship, and Elle found herself wondering what her second year would bring. But for now, she concentrated on her excitement at going home for a couple of months and not the pang in her chest at leaving her friends behind.

Emmett stood and waved until her blonde head disappeared and Paulette grabbed his arm to haul him away.

"Come on, honey, let's get going." He spared one last glance backwards as his new friends dragged him out the door. Watching Elle walk away had been harder than he'd thought, but he reminded himself that she would be back in ten weeks, two days, and seven hours - not that he was counting.

That night, at his apartment, Emmett puttered around uselessly. With no Elle to pester about studying and his new job not starting until Monday, he had nothing to do for three days.

"Might as well get some laundry done," he said to no one as the phone rang. "Hello?"

"Hey Emmett, it's me," Elle's voice filled his ear and he didn't fight the smile that stretched across his face.

"Elle! I guess you made it okay?"

"Sure did. And I have been instructed, under threat of switching my toilet paper to a generic brand, to tell you hello from the Delta Nus." Emmett laughed and sat on his sofa, leaning back as he talked to his friend.

"Well, tell them I said hello back. How is California?"

"Brighter than Boston," she admitted. "But I still miss it out there, you know? It's weird being here…" A silence fell over them, but it wasn't uncomfortable. That's how it had always been with them, Emmett mused.

"So what are your plans?" he asked finally.

"Well, the girls found this hot new club they're begging me to go to, and of course we'll be hitting the beach, and I need to get some serious shopping done…" Emmett listened as Elle rattled off everything she had planned to do this summer, not caring that his laundry wasn't really getting done. Her plans soon turned into talking about the girls and their friends in Boston, then that somehow transitioned into reminiscing over the past year and before either of them knew it, it was an hour and a half later.

"Oh my god, it's getting late," Elle said, and Emmett checked the clock.

"Isn't it only eight there?" he said absently, not really wanting to sever their connection just yet.

"Yes," Elle giggled, "but there it's almost eleven, and you should get some sleep. Anyway, I have to get to bed because Daddy wants to take me and Mom out early tomorrow morning."

"Well then I'd better let you go," Emmett said, trying not to sound disappointed. "Call me now and then to check in."

"Well of course, silly," Elle giggled again, "You are my best friend. What kind of best friend would I be if I didn't call you at least twice a week?" Emmett laughed with her.

"A bad one," he replied teasingly.

"That's right. Good night, Emmett."

"Night Elle." And the line went dead. He listened to the dial tone for a few seconds more before hanging up. Sighing heavily, he went about his earlier task of sorting and washing his clothes.

Weeks went by and, true to her word, Elle called Emmett twice, sometimes three times, a week. Emmett found himself looking forward to those phone calls; his only connection to the woman who had embedded herself so completely in his life. She told him about her perfect LA summer and he told her about his new job at an up and coming law firm, all the while wishing she were there beside him.

After the trial had ended, Emmett had made up his mind to tell Elle exactly how he felt about her, but then he'd found out that Warner had proposed to her. She'd declined of course; Emmett had had no doubt in his mind about that. But he didn't want to be that guy. So he'd waited patiently as he and Elle just grew closer, but before he knew it finals were upon them and there was no time for anything other than studying and quick goodbyes. Now he was stuck in an empty apartment pining for a girl three thousand miles away.

As he approached his apartment door one Friday evening, he noticed a note taped to it. He grabbed it as he unlocked the door and went inside, opening it up to read what it said. Typed in neat letters in the center of the paper were the words:

_I'll be your best friend till the day I die_.

_That's weird_, Emmett thought, turning the card over for any hint of who might have sent it. But the only person quirky enough to tape that note to his door was in California right now.

"Speaking of," he said as the phone began ringing. Picking up the receiver, he smiled widely as he answered. "Boston's Best Bachelor Pad."

"Did you get my note?" Elle's voice sounded excited, but Emmett figured she was just being her usual, perky self.

"Um, yeah, and of course we'll always be friends. But aren't you in California?"

"I asked Paulette to do it for me," was her rushed response, "But I just wanted you to know that because I'm about to tell you huge news."

"Okay," Emmett said warily, wondering what could be so big that Elle felt she had to reiterate their friendship. "What is it?"

"Are you sitting down?" He looked around and shrugged.

"Yes," he said, hoping she'd just spit it out.

"Okay," she paused for dramatic effect and he could hear her smile as she said, "I'm in love." Now he sank down onto the sofa as his knees could no longer support his weight.

"You're…what?" he asked, hoping he didn't sound too heartbroken.

"I'm in love," she said. "And we're not talking the puppy dog Warner kind of love. This is it, Emmett. This guy, wow…I can't really describe this feeling. It's like, when I'm away from him my chest actually hurts, you know? And even just talking on the phone with him makes me feel better than any day at a spa." He could just imagine the smile on her face, his favorite one – the one that could light up a dark night. And it made his chest hurt that it wasn't him that put it there.

"It's like…like I'm walking on air, Emmett. Like my heart has wings. It's the most wonderful feeling I've ever felt. With Warner it was like nothing…this is just so much better." Emmett listened as Elle described every feeling he got when he was with her, but he couldn't stop her – she sounded so happy and that's all he really wanted.

"So who's the lucky guy?" he forced himself to ask.

"He's one of my friends," Elle said, and he could hear her grinning now. "He's really great, you'd like him a lot. He's really goofy sometimes, but he's sweet. He buys silly little things for me that are small but meaningful, you know? And I haven't really known him that long, but it feels like I've known him my whole life, like he's always been there. He's the best thing that's ever happened to me, Emmett." He closed his eyes and prayed the torture would stop, that she'd say goodbye and let him wallow in misery alone. But his mouth seemed to have other ideas and he asked another question before he could stop himself.

"So," he swallowed the lump in his throat and tried to sound happy for his friend. "When are you seeing him next?"

"I'm on my way to his place right now, actually," she said. "I gotta go, I'm pulling up. I'll tell you all about it later. Bye!" And she hung up, leaving Emmett alone with the dial tone. He stood up, staring numbly at his living room, before tossing the receiver violently into the sofa and stalking to his room.

She was in love! With some guy out in California, no less! And she was going to call and tell him all about it later…Emmett dreaded her next phone call. He didn't think he could bear sitting there listening to Elle extol the virtues of some tanned, toned model who probably had less brains than a chimpanzee. He scowled at himself in the mirror, cursing himself for ever thinking Elle could fall for a guy like him. He had thought that after the Warner fiasco Elle would have a little more sense where guys were concerned. But it seemed once back out in Malibu the old Elle Woods had resurfaced, burying the real, intelligent, Elle Woods beneath a cute smile, perfectly fluffed hair, and a parade of pink.

A pounding on his door pulled him from his thoughts and he stormed back down the hall. His landlord had been a pain recently about keeping the noise levels to a minimum, often yelling at unsuspecting tenants for no reason at all. Surely Emmett was about to get a sound tongue-lashing for all the pacing he was doing.

But when he pulled his door open he gaped at the sight before him. There, in all her pink glory, was Elle holding a very excited Chihuahua. As she set Bruiser down on the floor he bounded into Emmett's apartment and claimed the entire couch for himself. Emmett, for his part, merely stood there staring at his friend.

"Emmett?" she waved a hand in front of his face. "Can I come in?" He stepped back absently, allowing her to get inside and shut the door. But his mind still seemed to be processing everything so she simply stood there. "Let me know when you're done thinking," she teased.

"Elle…and…but you said…California?" The suave, brilliant lawyer in him seemed to have fled as he couldn't start or finish a legitimate question to save his dignity. She saved him the trouble and stepped right up to him, putting her hand over his lips.

"What I said," she offered him a small smile, "was that you were great, and goofy, and sweet, and the best thing that's ever happened to me. And…I love you." Finally, he seemed to have caught up with himself and he grabbed her hands.

"Why the note?" was the first thing he could think to ask, and he mentally slapped himself.

"Because," her smile grew bigger and her eyes danced with amusement, "no matter what happens, we're friends. Best friends. But somewhere along the way I fell in love with you. And it took me being three thousand miles away to realize that I hate being without you. So I came back to tell you." Suddenly his face split into a grin, the one Elle loved to see on his face. It was the one he got when he was both happy and proud of her at the same time, but this time there was something more in his eyes.

"I love you, too," he said. "I have for a long time now. I just…I didn't know how to tell you without jeopardizing our friendship." She nodded and led him over to the couch, disturbing Bruiser's nap as they sat down side by side.

"So I just have one more question," Elle said, grabbing his hand.

"And that is?" he couldn't seem to stop smiling now, and he realized he didn't care. She loved him and he wanted to shout it from the rooftops.

"Could I stay here until school starts?" she looked around. "Because I totally came back earlier than expected and I don't have anywhere to live." He laughed and threw an arm around her shoulders.

"Of course you can." He leaned over and kissed the side of her head, and Elle found that she liked this new, affectionate Emmett. But there was something she'd been dying to do since they parted at the airport and as he moved away she grabbed his shirt and pulled him back in to kiss him properly.

At first he seemed surprised, but after a few seconds he deepened the kiss, pulling her into him a little more. He leaned back, pulling her with him, as the kiss grew more heated and his hands moved from her shoulder to her waist. But as he laid back on his couch Bruiser let out an irritated yip, sending them flying apart. The dog scrambled off the couch and stared at them accusingly from the floor, causing them to break out into laughter.

"Sorry Bruiser," Emmett leaned forward and scooped the dog up, standing and grabbing Elle's hand with his free one. "Come on." She followed him back to her bedroom, watching as he deposited Bruiser on the bed.

"Emmett?"

"You know where the towels are, and there are extra blankets in the hope chest if you get cold." He moved back to the door but she grabbed his arm.

"Where are you going?"

He thumbed back toward the living room. "Couch," he said simply. "It's alright," he added quickly as she opened her mouth to protest. "I am a gentleman," he continued. "I have to be or my mother would kill me." She laughed at him but didn't release his arm.

"Listen Emmett, there's probably no one in the world I trust more than you. We can share the bed." He raised an eyebrow.

"You expect me to sleep in the same bed as a gorgeous woman – whom I happen to love – and control myself after what happened out on the couch?" She smiled softly and wondered, not for the first time, what she had done to deserve having this man in her life.

"Really, Emmett," she stepped closer and laid her other hand on his cheek. "I flew all the way from California, so I'm really tired. But I really, _really_ want to fall asleep in your arms tonight." He stared at her for a moment before sighing heavily.

"Well, who am I to argue with that?" he said, pulling off his outer shirt. Elle looked around kind of helplessly and Emmett chuckled. "You don't even have anything to sleep in, do you?"

"Well," she defended, "I was in such a hurry to get out here that I totally didn't even pack anything other than essentials and Bruiser's stuff. I'll call Daddy tomorrow and have him send my things. That is if Boston's Best Bachelor Pad can handle it."

"You're going to…_girlify_ my apartment aren't you? Make it all...pink?" he asked dreadfully.

"Yep." She rifled through her bag and pulled out a hairbrush.

"You packed a hairbrush and," he peered into the bag, "_three_ issues of _Vogue_, but not pajamas?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Essentials, Emmett," she shot back. He sighed dramatically and gestured toward the dresser.

"You can borrow something of mine. " She moved over and rifled through his things before pulling out a pair of boxers and a Red Sox t-shirt. As she went to the bathroom to change, Emmett sent a silent request heavenward to grant him strength and self-control.

Bruiser was already curled up at the foot of the bed, so he quickly went back out to the front to make sure his door was locked before he stripped down to his boxers and undershirt and climbed into bed. Elle came back out with her hair down and her clothes in hand. Folding her things neatly, she set them on the hope chest near the wall and settled down on the other side of Emmett's full sized bed.

Emmett flicked off the bedside lamp and rolled onto his side to face her, unsurprised to find Elle there waiting for him. She snuggled into his arms comfortably, intertwining one of her legs with his, and let out a satisfied sigh.

"Good night, Emmett. Love you." He kissed her forehead softly and smiled, brushing a stray lock of blonde hair from her face as he laid his head next to hers and closed his eyes.

"Love you too, Elle. Night."

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I already have an idea for another one. I'm working on it now, but who knows when it'll be posted. I found this thing on my hard drive...it's been sitting there for months and months. Ah well.


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